Was the Nomad really that bad?
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The 'Bat Cave' @ HLP in the Big Durian Indo
Age: 61
Posts: 781
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It had one serious flaw: weak tail feathers. In a static full-power check the tail would waggle and bobble all over the place
Moderator
the tail assembly was oscillating a good 30 cm in each direction
Perhaps not quite that much, albeit the old girl can put on a good shake, rattle, and roll show ?
Any structure will vibrate if you hit it with some excitation at the the right sort of frequency. Nomad is no different in that regard. One relevant difference is that the tail assembly oscillates at frequencies low enough to see easily during ground run ops.
Years ago I did a video comparison between Nomad and a number of other aircraft on high power ground ops with no undue surprises surfacing.
Perhaps not quite that much, albeit the old girl can put on a good shake, rattle, and roll show ?
Any structure will vibrate if you hit it with some excitation at the the right sort of frequency. Nomad is no different in that regard. One relevant difference is that the tail assembly oscillates at frequencies low enough to see easily during ground run ops.
Years ago I did a video comparison between Nomad and a number of other aircraft on high power ground ops with no undue surprises surfacing.
The problem with the tailplane was compounded by the thin skins on the fuselage cone which resulted in high twisting or torsional deflections. It was the asymmetric nature of the vibration which brought the tailplane undone. Part of production test flying for each airframe was a dive to 206 knots, and when the indon defence forces nomads came up for flying, the rear bubble window gave us the first chance to look at the tailplane outside of formation flying. So .....during a production test flight down to the back of the aeroplane did I trot, full of optimism. It was not a pleasant sight - you'd swear it was a rag tailplane and the dope had died. Shortly afterward stiffeners were added which kept it in shape a little better at speed. But the buffet induced from the wing with some combinations of flap and power (and that includes ground running) were large given that the tailplane was in the perfect position to suffer it.
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
PK-MAJ
#319
Date: 23 JUL 1979
Type: GAF Nomad N.22B
Operator: Missionary Aviation Fellowship - MAF
Registration: PK-MAJ
Met an air crash investigator in Irian Jaya in 1979 who was investigating this accident. He was convinced that a prop or prop blade had come off and killed the pilot and was the result of a faulty overhaul of the prop. This was I think before he had visited the crash site or seen the wreckage although others had so he was going on their reports I guess. If true it is probably not a Nomad problem as such as that engine /prop is likely to be used on other types as well.
Date: 23 JUL 1979
Type: GAF Nomad N.22B
Operator: Missionary Aviation Fellowship - MAF
Registration: PK-MAJ
Met an air crash investigator in Irian Jaya in 1979 who was investigating this accident. He was convinced that a prop or prop blade had come off and killed the pilot and was the result of a faulty overhaul of the prop. This was I think before he had visited the crash site or seen the wreckage although others had so he was going on their reports I guess. If true it is probably not a Nomad problem as such as that engine /prop is likely to be used on other types as well.
ls28
LS28 which was originally destined to become the first floatplane. It had some of the forward float attach fittings. It pulled enough g to fail the struts. I don't think there was ever a cause established, but it looked like violent flight manoeuvres subsequent to loss of control.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
VH-ATO
hello there
ATO was a GAF N22C air frame 108.
She was happy to cruise at 145kts but in my time in her she spent very little time in cruise!
keep well all
NNB
ATO was a GAF N22C air frame 108.
She was happy to cruise at 145kts but in my time in her she spent very little time in cruise!
keep well all
NNB
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TinselTown
Age: 45
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you seen the in-flight NASA flutter tests of a Twin Comanche on Youtube?
I believe the NASA test was a standard Twin Comanche but flown above VNE, but I'm not sure. There is a fabulous article by someone from Robertson STOL about Twin Comanche flutter caused by slack elevator cables.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ATO
yes - she is the last N22 on the Oz register. Gippy Aero have an ex NZ N24 on the Oz register as a test bed for their program to re-introduce the N24 or its replacement.
ATO was kind to me, I hope she continues to look after you in her photo mapping role.
blue ones
NNB
ATO was kind to me, I hope she continues to look after you in her photo mapping role.
blue ones
NNB
Not sure if this has been posted yet. GippsAero's testbed Nomad arriving at Latrobe Valley (not my video).
vh-xgz_nomad_landing_at_gippsaero_1280x720_zps0d414fdc.mp4 Video by trojan1981 | Photobucket
vh-xgz_nomad_landing_at_gippsaero_1280x720_zps0d414fdc.mp4 Video by trojan1981 | Photobucket
Last edited by Trojan1981; 22nd May 2013 at 04:16.
Join Date: May 2013
Location: have I forgotten or am I lost?
Age: 71
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
did you know.....
did you know that the turbine conversion of the Seawind amphibian used the firewall forward turbine installation from a Nomad.
the guys doing the Seawind conversions rated the Nomad installation quite highly.
(sorry. I should have posted this in useless facts :-) )
the guys doing the Seawind conversions rated the Nomad installation quite highly.
(sorry. I should have posted this in useless facts :-) )
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Looking forward to returning to Japan soon but in the meantime continuing the never ending search for a bad bottle of Red!
Age: 69
Posts: 2,969
Received 96 Likes
on
55 Posts
Gippy Aero have an ex NZ N24 on the Oz register as a test bed for their program to re-introduce the N24 or its replacement.
Anyone in the know wish to comment?
Have you seen the in-flight NASA flutter tests of a Twin Comanche on Youtube?
He told me that they incrementally increased the speed to 195 kts when the tailplane started to dance. Vne was 178 kts I believe. Should have asked him how he managed to get it up to 195 but my mouth was wide open by then.
(Also should have asked if he managed to find a way to land it smoothly - I never did, even using the "flap" theory, but that's another thread I guess.
In case it all went wrong, he of course had a chute, but he doubted he could have got out the door although by then he would have not needed to worry about the tailplane being there to whack him on the way down!!!
Anyway, back to this thread and earlier posts # 136 and 223, here is our American G-22 at Pima last week. Now missing the radome. Funny how it is parked in between some really heavy machines and not in the light aircraft section in the middle of the park. Seemed to be in fairly good condition after all of these years.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Mel-burn
Posts: 4,875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did the Pima tour a couple of years back and I posted a pic of the same aircraft here. I was disappointed that the tour guide never even mentioned this amazing Australian built marvel during the tour :-). He basically spoke of every other aircraft in the yard except for the Nomad :-(
I'd always thought that the production Comanche 400's left the factory with the Apache/Aztec tailplane bolted on (so to speak) down the back. Structurally it was a more substantial unit than the stock standard Comanche stabilator.
